I am in need of a new truck for both work use and personal use and wanted to get some opinions on the truck I’m thinking about purchasing. The truck is a 2019, 2wd, short bed, crew cab Silverado. The thing I’m on the fence with is it’s a 4.3 liter V6.
For work use, I’m pulling a 5x10 single axel trailer with a basic setup and I don’t pull water around from job to job. I am thinking ahead of upgrading to a 6x12 dual axel trailer at some point but still don’t see myself ever needing to pull a large amount of water or mixes around town.
For personal use, I don’t see myself towing anything larger or heavier than my wash rig.
I live in a city environment on the coast of South Carolina and 99% of time I don’t have to worry about large hills other than the two large bridges in my area.
I can save some money going with the V6 versus a V8 but I’m unsure if I will be underpowered. The window sticker says the truck has a towing Capacity of 6,800lbs. Here are some pics of the truck info and of my current setup.
I guess my other question is do you ever plan to get enclosed trailer instead of open? Wind resistance makes a big difference to, just not weight. Might be something to think about
Yes, I really need one bad, I’m not going through another winter winterizing all the time. Oooo that question was for the other guy lol.
Hows yours coming along @SurfaceTherapy ?
I also agree, pulling a single axle with a V6 is one thing, upgrading to a dbl is another. get a v8 , preferably a 3/4 ton.
The way I read the 6800lbs is that would be the total weight including truck. everything inside the truck and what you’re towing. I’ve been looking at used trucks for about a year now and any I find that has everything I want are all around 25k. I guess my contemplation is do I spend around 25k for a used V8 and not have to worry about being underpowered or do I spend a little more for something that’s never been used and run the risk of one day needing more.
I don’t buy vehicles very often so whatever I end up getting will be mine for a long time. What’s really got me ready to pull the trigger is my wife and I have three kids and We’re starting to have frequent issues with transportation when she is tied up somewhere by herself with her car. I do have access to my work car for personal use but I try my best to not put my kids in the back of my police car.
That is correct, my 10 seconds of maths has me at around 1 tonne of wiggle room for the trailer If I’m working this out correct. Nothing wrong with buying a used truck for business, all the new trucks I’ve had over the years look worse than used trucks I could have bought in a couple of years anyway due to the nature of the work. Do the oil and filter regularly and don’t worry about the odd scratch or dent, you can’t avoid those.
That’s doesn’t seem right to me, over here there’s plenty of 4 cylinder, straight 6 and v6 trucks that are rated to tow 3-3.5 ton - that’s 6600 to 7700 lb .
A truck that could only tow 1 ton - I probably would steer clear
@AUSSIE Towing capacity refers to how much weight you can safely pull behind your truck with a trailer. Typically, your truck’s towing capacity far exceeds its payload capacity because the majority of the weight is resting on the trailer axles, not your truck’s axles. You can find your truck’s towing capacity in the owner’s manual or calculate it on your own. To find your truck’s towing capacity, subtract your truck’s curb weight from its Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR). The GCVWR is the maximum weight of your loaded truck and the weight of its attached trailer.
I once had a Silverado extended cab with a 4.8 V8 and that thing was a pooch without pulling a trailer. The gas mileage was horrible. It was worse than a 3/4 ton crew cab with a 5.3 I owned. I’m not the type that drives fast or needs a lot of power but I’ll never own a truck with anything smaller than a 5.3. It’s the perfect size for a “do it all” engine. It’s no so big to where gas mileage is horrible and it’ll pull anything you’ll ever need it to as a family/pressure washing truck. I had that 4.8 quite a few years ago so it might not be fair to compare a 2001 4.8 to a newer 4.3. That newer 4.3 might have a lot more power. I’m with the guys above though. I think I’d purchase a used truck with a V8. You could get a heck of a nice used truck for the same price as that one above.
My 2007.5 Silverado had the 4.8 and it drank gas like a 6.0 but I had a heavier foot back then. The reliability of those LS-based motors is ridiculous. Not uncommon for one to go 300,000 or more with average maintenance.
I think I’m going to go the newly used truck route and stick with a V8. Ive never owned a brand new vehicle outside of what my wife drives daily and I think I was having some new car envy. Either way my current 1990 Silverado with the 5.7 liter isn’t practical anymore.
The downfall to all this is I haven’t had a car payment since 2007 and that’s about to change.
@DisplacedTexan Guys are ringing them out to 1000hp with turbos and basic bolt ons with standard internals. the LS steel blocks are one of the best engines available for hp and reliability.
Yeah, payments suck. I’d sell you my truck but you’re a good ways away from me and there’s probably plenty between here and there that would serve you just as well. I want to build a flatbed and I’ve been hunting pretty seriously here lately. I love my truck and it pulls my 16’ tandem axle trailer like a champ but I really want a flatbed work truck.
